How to Use Protein Powder: Scoops, Mixing and Recipes

Maybe you've just bought your first tub and you're staring at the scoop wondering what to do next. Maybe you've been training for a while and want to get more from your shakes. Or maybe you don't train at all and simply want an easy way to eat more protein, feel fuller and look after your muscles as you get older. No silly questions here. This guide is for all of you.

We'll cover how much protein is really in a scoop, how many serves to have, how to mix it, five simple recipes, the best times to use it and how to store it.

How much protein is in a scoop?

Less than the scoop weighs. Powder isn't 100% protein, so always go by the grams of protein on the label, not the grams of powder.

Scoop sizes differ between brands (Zealea's serve is two scoops, Collagen Whey's is one rounded scoop), and protein varies slightly by flavour, so check the label on your tub.

Using part serves? A kitchen scale is more accurate than a scoop. Half of Zealea's 30 g serve (15 g of powder) gives you about 12 g of protein.

How many serves a day?

Enough to fill the gap between what your meals give you and what you need. For most people that's one or two serves.

1. Find your daily target. If you exercise regularly, the ISSN recommends 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight a day. [1] If you're not training but want fullness and weight management, 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg is the range researchers suggest. [3] Our protein calculator does the maths.
2. Count what your meals already give you.
3. Use powder to close the gap, in serves of 20 to 40 g of protein. [1]

A worked example: you weigh 70 kg, you've started lifting weights and you're aiming for 1.6 g/kg. That's 112 g of protein a day. If your meals give you about 80 g, one shake of 25 to 35 g gets you there.

Why use powder at all? You can get protein from food alone, but supplementing is a practical way to get enough good-quality protein while keeping calories down. [1] Across 49 studies with 1,863 people, adding protein supplements to a resistance training programme supported extra gains in muscle size and strength. [4]

Your daily total is food plus powder. Our full guide, How much protein do you actually need?, walks you through every situation.

How to mix it

Pick your liquid

Figures from the New Zealand Food Composition Database. [5] Brands vary, so check the label on the milk you buy.

Get a smooth shake

• Liquid first, then powder. It stops powder sticking to the bottom.
• Use enough liquid. Zealea suggests 30 g of powder in 250 ml of water. Add more for a thinner shake, less for a thicker one.
• Use a shaker with a mixer. The Inception Labs Shaker Bottle holds about 600 ml, has an extra-wide mouth and a built-in mixer for a lump-free shake.
• Blend it for smoothies, and stir it through yoghurt or porridge with a spoon.
• Avoid very hot liquid unless the directions on your tub say it's fine. For porridge, let it cool for a minute before stirring the powder through.

If you have a milk allergy, a whey powder is still milk even when you mix it with water. Choose a plant protein instead.

Easy recipes with everyday NZ foods

Five quick ideas using foods most Kiwi kitchens already have. Protein figures are worked out from the New Zealand Food Composition Database [5] and the product labels, and totals are approximate.

Pick a recipe

Recipe protein cards

• Recipe 1

  Kiwi breakfast smoothie

  About 36 gprotein

  • 30 g Zealea Whey Protein Concentrate, Vanilla or Banana (23.8 g)
  • 250 ml trim milk (about 11 g)
  • 1 banana (about 1 g)
  • Half a cup of frozen blueberries

  Method: Blend until smooth; with water instead of milk, about 25 g.

• Recipe 2

  Protein porridge

  About 29 gprotein

  • 40 g rolled oats cooked with water (about 5 g)
  • 30 g Zealea Whey Protein Concentrate, Unflavoured or Salted Caramel (23.8 g)
  • 1 sliced green kiwifruit (under 1 g)

  Method: Cook oats, cool for a minute, stir powder through with a splash of milk or water.

• Recipe 3

  Greek yoghurt bowl

  About 26 gprotein

  • 150 g plain Greek yoghurt (about 12 g)
  • 15 g Zealea Whey Protein Concentrate, any flavour (about 12 g)
  • 2 teaspoons peanut butter (about 2.5 g)
  • A handful of frozen blueberries

  Method: Stir powder into yoghurt, top with peanut butter and berries; thick and spoonable, works as a snack or before bed.

• Recipe 4

  Weet-Bix with protein milk

  About 25 gprotein

  • 2 Weet-Bix (about 4 g)
  • 200 ml trim milk (about 9 g)
  • 15 g Zealea Whey Protein Concentrate, Chocolate or Vanilla (about 12 g)

  Method: Shake powder and milk together, pour over.

• Recipe 5

  Chocolate Collagen Whey milkshake

  About 35 gprotein

  • 1 rounded scoop (33 g) Inception Labs Collagen Whey, Chocolate Milkshake (25.8 g)
  • 250 ml standard milk (about 9 g)
  • Ice

  Method: Shake or blend; whey for muscle and collagen for connective tissue in one glass.

Figures from the New Zealand Food Composition Database [5] and product labels ([2] for Collagen Whey).

When to have it

Whenever it suits your day. The muscle-building effect of a training session lasts at least 24 hours, so your daily total matters more than the exact minute. [1]

• After training. Popular and easy. Protein before or after a workout both support muscle building. [1]
• At breakfast. If your breakfast is light, a scoop in porridge or a smoothie moves protein earlier in the day. Meals with 25 to 30 g of protein support fullness. [3]
• Between meals. Spreading 20 to 40 g serves every 3 to 4 hours works well for most people. [1]
• Before bed. In a 12-week study, young men who had 27.5 g of protein every night before bed while training gained more strength and muscle than those on placebo. [6] Our casein vs whey guide explains why whey works here too.

Use a shake alongside your meals, not instead of them. A shake doesn't bring the fibre and other nutrients a full meal does. Our protein shake vs meal replacement guide covers the difference.

Using it if you don't train

You don't need a gym membership for protein powder to help. It's simply an easy, low-calorie way to get more protein into your day.

• Fullness and weight management. Higher-protein diets of 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg, with about 25 to 30 g of protein per meal, support appetite and weight management. [3] In nine trials in adults carrying extra weight, whey supplements supported improvements in body weight and fat mass. [7]
• Strength as you age. In older adults, whey on its own supported better lower-body strength, and paired with resistance training it also supported gains in lean mass. [8]

Start with one serve a day at your lightest meal, usually breakfast.

How to store it

• Keep the lid or bag sealed, and follow the storage directions on the label. [9]
• Use a dry scoop, and keep water out of the tub.
• Check the date mark. Most foods carry a best-before date, which is about quality, not safety: food can still be eaten for a while after it, though it may have lost some quality. A use-by date is different and shouldn't be passed. Follow any storage directions on the label. [9]
• Don't use a powder that smells off, has clumped from moisture or has a damaged seal.

Check first

If you have kidney disease, a diagnosed food allergy or a prescribed diet, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are buying for someone under 18, check with your GP before using protein powder.

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